MsAnnaNOLA's Profile
Gumbo Shop alternatives
I am with you JazzyB. Hated the Jambalaya sooo much at coops. Never had the Gumbo but that Jambalaya experience turned me off big time.
Gumbo shop is consistent and reasonable. Diverse gumbo choices with other good stuff on the menu too.
Cuvee or Luke?
I was at Cuvee that night, I hope you didn't order the lamb. I love lamb but I could hardly eat the dish. This was a huge dissapointment. There was this tomato puree on the plate that tasted like tomato paste. It was so odd it didn't go with anything else on the plate. It was just bad. I would be curious to see what you thought.
La Boca
Get the Organic Grass Fed Hangar Steak. My brother in law from Argentina tried mine and he said it was just like home. I think it is the best steak i have ever had and i am not really a steak person generally. I would go back for that hangar steak in a heartbeat. All the other steak guys said my hangar steak was better than the various cuts they ordered. The chimichurri sauce is fabulous too and so are the family style sides. Grilled Asparagus!!! Yum!
What is comparable to Stella's?
I think in general what you should look for is contemporary creole while this is not the style of Stella per se, it is closer to what Stella is doing. It is a lot lighter than all the traditional creole stuff. Dante's is a good choice along these lines.
4 nights - what do you think of my choices?
I personally like all of your choices except Cochon. The menu is not diverse I agree with the other poster you may want to consider it for lunch or snack. It is very casual so no problem there. I had a very mediocre meal at Patois but I am willing to try it again. Stella is on the high side but worth it for an occasion. I also agree Brightsen's is on the casual side and it is known for consistency though the day I ate there I thought it was somewhat average but not bad.
Your choices are great because there is not really any repetition on that list. Each one you chose is unique. They are all solid and relatively affordable. If you want some of the kinds of stuff that cochon has but with seafood you could try the other John Best restaurant Luke. They have some of the pork and exotic meats but also oysters on the half shell. The restaurant is styled on a french brasserie so it is casual. The menu is online so you and your friend can check it out and see if it looks good to you.
the quest for the best in new orleans
Had a horrible meal at Cuvee the last day of Jazz Fest. It was truly horrible. I am still getting over it. I think the chef is just way too ambitious at the expense of taste. Either that or they ran out of half the ingredients of the dish and substituted things that made it taste bad instead of just saying they were out of it. It was a train wreck.
Go to Stella, Herbsaint or any of those others instead.
Best Steakhouse in New Orleans Area
While not the marrow melting experience you were looking for the La Boca organic grass fed hangar steak is fantastic. La Boca is an Argentine style steakhouse, but grass fed is the way beef is raised there. The grass fed makes a difference. I am not a steak person and this meat blew me away. Grass fed is leaner than traditional grain fed so they marinate it ever so well. It is so tender and flavorful it melts in your mouth. The outside is slightly carmelized and it was cooked perfectly. In my mind this is the way beef is supposed to taste, with out the antibiotics, hormones and excess of marbling from being grain fed. All the "steak guys" in my group tried it and they were blown away too. They all wished they had my hangar instead of their respective NY Strips and such. The side of grilled asparagus is fab as well. (keep in mind the sides are family style.)
Old School
I went to Antoine's in September for my sister's birthday. The food was not that great and it was very very expensive. The whole menu is a' la carte. Having said that if you have a big group they can accomodate you, so that may be a consideration.
I have to say I tend to not like the "traditional creole" places as the food is very heavy. Of those on your list K-Pauls is closer to cajun than creole but the food is still very very heavy. There are few lighter options available on these menus. Galatoire's is "traditional creole" as well so it will also be very heavy.
I would consider who is in your party and if there will be enough variety if you choose three restuarants that are traditional creole. I think mixing in a Stella or similar "contemporary creole" would give a little more variety and a more rounded out view of New Orleans cuisine.
Personally I can only eat traditional creole once in a while even when it is very good. Eating three of these meals in a short period would be increasing your waistline at the very least.
Father's Retirement Dinner: WHERE??
I vote for Herbsaint over Brigtsen's. My fiancee and I dined there last night. It was good but we were somewhat uninspired. Good but not great. This is the opposite experience we have had at Herbsaint. Jazz fest weekend is the hardest time to eat in New Orleans. Good luck.
Number of restaurants in NO
A quick google found this article from city business. It states that the pre-katrina number was 809.
Tom Fitzmorris is quoted, he runs nomenu.com.
http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/viewStory.cfm?recID=18927
Number of restaurants in NO
http://www.nomenu.com/
Tom Fitzmorris has 910 as the current number. There are listings on the site with phone numbers.
Decisions for Anniversary Trip
FYI Uglesich closed a few years ago.
I love Herbsaint and Bayona, though I agree that Herbsaint tends to be louder. If you do go to Herbsaint the frog legs are an unusual treat. This is the only place I eat them. Sat. Breakfast at Dante's (I assume Dante's kitchen) word of warning get there when they open it is packed and you could wait an hour.
Ignatius for dinner
Went for lunch. Two of my friends are still raving about the roast beef. The fiancee likes his with little gravy. Maybe that is why he liked it. At brunch I had an omlette that was fair. Not sure how lunch and dinner might differ.
Worst thing...uncomfortable chairs inside. The first time we went my fiancee walked out before the waiter even came. Uncomfortable chairs with straw seats and strait backs.
WEDDING IDEAS
I have to agree with the Deanie's review. Not great. Very few things on the menu are not fried. This is a problem for many folks. Particularly older folks with acid reflux ( and some young ones too).
My future in-laws love it and want to go there all the time. So obviously some people like it. Since they want to take us there for each and every ocassion I can leave it.
I agree with Bill Hunt. We need more info in order to comment properly for this group.
Flaming Torch?
You might want to try Martinique. I have not been to Flaming Torch either but Martinique is somewhat French.Some people I know had a bad waitstaff experience at Martinique, but I have been there probably a dozen or so times and enjoyed it every time including the service. The duck has been good lately. The wine list is very reasonable. The homemade Guiness Ice cream is a treat.
The only time I didn't enjoy it was at the Sunday Brunch but that was mostly because it is heavy on the meat and I was not in the mood for it that day.
Shahi Korma. Tasty Indian Food.
Also try Taj Mahal on Metairie Road. The lunch buffet is a steal at around $10. They change the items constantly so you are always suprised by a new tasty morsel. It is owned by the same family as Nirvana, but the chef must be a little better. I always enjoy a trip to Taj Mahal but I rarely order off the a la carte menu. Having said that I would be surprised if they didn't have it. It is sort of a staple.
